The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1887-12-16
1Misccllancnus.
A TALE OF A TIGER HUNT.
An EngIishmhn's Experience In AN In.
dian Jungle With u Shot Gun Loaded
with Snipe Shot

with Snipe Shot.
Unlike most Anglo Indians, | am nothing
of sportsman. Like the rest of my tribe,
| have always possessed Colts revolver,
with sufficient complement of cartridges (;
nor have | ever been without good central
fire. breech loading, dOuble-barreled gun.
But the former has, through all the years OF
my Indian career, waited mutely for the
burglar, who, thank goodness, has meyer in
vaded my bachelor bungalow and the latter
has chiefly justified its continuance in my
possession by giving my faithful bearer
something to do in cleaning its almost unus-
ed barrels. When say that my gun is
chOke-bore, you will understand that it is
more suited for snipe shooting and The pur-
suit of ducks and plover, than for the de-
structon of larger game.
In 1850 | was in camp at the foot of thn
Tipperah Hills. My tent was pitched under
the shade of II vast banyan tree, and on the
bank of a picturesque little hill stream, close
to the station where his Highness the Maha-
rajah OF indepen tent Tippe all collects tolls
from such OF our fellow subjects as cut TIM
Der in his vast forests. Hard by was the col
lection OF matched huts in which lived the
Maharaj ah's agent, a Mohammedan gentle
man OF much local Influence hospitable, es-
pecially to those in authority over them
plausible and pleasant in his manners, as Mo-
hammedans nearly always are, and bent
upon showing me-who was, alas, quite con-
tent to take him at his word-that he was as
good and staunch sportsman as any sahib
of them all. For days before my arrival the
hill folk had been warned to look ont for
traces of tigers or bears and it was with Oh
vious pride and satisfaction that my friend
announced to me, one lovely cool morning
in December, that he had succeeded in put
ting nets round patch of jungle in which
lurked fine tiger. There was nothing for
it but to make hasty breakfast, and to start
with my trusty gun aforesaid over my
shoulder for the agents house. Unfortunate
ly, the only cartridges | had with me were
loaded, if you will believe me, with snipe shot
| was 10th to damp my friends enthusiasm
by admitting that was insufficienty armed
for tiger hunt, and resolved to trust to his
skill in forest warfare for the conquest of the
tiger and the safety of our skins. 70 ME was
allotted the post of honor on the back of a
small and, as it seemed to me, EXTREMITY ner-
yOus young elephant, whose movements were
so cratic that it was as much as | could do
to hold on to the ropes by which the pad"
on which sat was bound and | could not
hep wishing that were gifted, like an In
dian god, with an extra pair of arms for the
due management of my weapon. To make
matters more uncomfortable, the mahout or
driver, behind whose back | was perched,
was either very cold or very frightened, for
his teeth chartered doleiully, and unlike
most of his class, he seemed unwilling to
talk.
We were picturesque procession enough.
as we started for the forest. led the way
on my elephant next came my Mohamme-
do ~ friapl txith nd oil nj bol
very much on one side of his flowing and
curly locks; over his shoulder was slung an
ancient single .barreled, muzzle-loading gun
and it was no small comfort to notice that
whatever my own inward doubts and ire
mors might be, my friend at least was full of
enthusiasm and pleasant anticipation Of an
exciting days work. Behind him came two
or three Mussulmans armed like himself; and
the rear was brought up by miscellaneous
crowd of Tipperahs, Manpuris and plains
people, who had been impressed as heaters.
1t was a lovely morning, bright, clear and
cool and, even in my somewhat excited
state, it WAS impossible not to admire the
lovely glimpse of forest scenery which open
ed to our right and left rs we made our way
slowly up the bed of the ST. cam by which my
tent had been pitched. Every now and again
we passed a small Tipperah village, the
WOUueu uOusto iuistu llho tHOeC vi nv tnt
Eastern hill folk, on piles some six or seven
feet above the level of the ground. In one,
an ancient headman, gray and bent with age,
advanced to wish us success in our effort to
rid the countryside of pest whose ravages
had thinned the cattle of the neighboring viii
lagos woefully; and as l acknowledged his
salaams | heartily wished that my place
could have been taken by some one better
armed and more skillful than myself. But
soon the villages grew rarer; the patches of
golden paddy, set in frame of dark dense
Jungle, more infrequent. We heard the
shrill cry of Jungle fowl in the woods, and
the cooling of innumerable doves ia the
feathery branches fthe bambOos. Soon the
path became almost impossible; and the elt-
phant and its driver were busy tearing down
branches and clearing a way for us through
the dense underground of tree-fern and gor-
geous Towering creepers. Where the shade
was densest, the air struck chill even to my
wel-clothed limbs, and / could sympatbize
with the tremors of my half naked mahout
and again, when we emerged into clearing,
deserted by the migratory cultivation of the
hill people, the sun struck tiercely and rend-
cred the protection of ones huge sun hat
very grateful. At last, and, as | thought,
only too soon, we reached the patch OF forest
which had been Melted. The beaiers disap-
peared by jungle paths to right and left;
the Mussulmans climbed into convenient
trees, and with an occasional friendly shout
to me, peered anxiously into the dense jungle
below. Presently we knew that the beating
had begun, Tor we heard the distant sound
of shouts aud tomtoms, a shout which raised
a strange citation and excitement even in my
unsporIsman-like bosom, and for moment
forgot that had in my hands only choke
bore gun loaded with snipe shot; that was
holding with might and main To my nncar-